Proverbs 8-11

American Standard Version

8 Doth not wisdom cry,
And understanding put forth her voice?
² On the top of high places by the way,
Where the paths meet, she standeth;
³ Beside the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:
⁴ Unto you, O men, I call;
And my voice is to the sons of men.
⁵ O ye simple, understand prudence;
And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.
⁶ Hear, for I will speak excellent things;
And the opening of my lips shall be right things.
⁷ For my mouth shall utter truth;
And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
⁸ All the words of my mouth ^[a]are in righteousness;
There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
⁹ They are all plain to him that understandeth,
And right to them that find knowledge.
¹⁰ Receive my instruction, and not silver;
And knowledge rather than choice gold.
¹¹ For wisdom is better than rubies;
And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it.

¹² I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling,
And find out ^[b]knowledge and discretion.
¹³ The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil:
Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way,
And the perverse mouth, do I hate.
¹⁴ Counsel is mine, and ^[c]sound knowledge:
I am understanding; I have might.
¹⁵ By me kings reign,
And princes decree justice.
¹⁶ By me ^[d]princes rule,
And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
¹⁷ I love them that love me;
And those that seek me ^[e]diligently shall find me.
¹⁸ Riches and honor are with me;
Yea, ^[f]durable wealth and righteousness.
¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold;
And my ^[g]revenue than choice silver.
²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice;
²¹ That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance,
And that I may fill their treasuries.

²² Jehovah ^[h]possessed me in ^[i]the beginning of his way,
^[j]Before his works of old.
²³ I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,
Before the earth was.
²⁴ When there were no depths, I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
²⁵ Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills was I brought forth;
²⁶ While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields,
Nor the ^[k]beginning of the dust of the world.
²⁷ When he ^[l]established the heavens, I was there:
When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,
²⁸ When he made firm the skies above,
When the fountains of the deep became strong,
²⁹ When he gave to the sea ^[m]its bound,
That the waters should not transgress his commandment,
When he ^[n]marked out the foundations of the earth;
³⁰ Then I was by him, as a master workman;
And I ^[o]was daily his delight,
^[p]Rejoicing always before him,
^31 [q]Rejoicing in his habitable earth;
And my delight was with the sons of men.

³² Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me;
For blessed are they that keep my ways.
³³ Hear instruction, and be wise,
And refuse it not.
³⁴ Blessed is the man that heareth me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
³⁵ For whoso findeth me findeth life,
And shall ^[r]obtain favor of Jehovah.
³⁶ But he that ^[s]sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul:
All they that hate me love death.

9 Wisdom hath builded her house;
She hath hewn out her seven pillars:
² She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine;
She hath also furnished her table:
³ She hath sent forth her maidens;
She crieth upon the highest places of the city:
⁴ Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither:
As for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him,
⁵ Come, eat ye of my bread,
And drink of the wine which I have mingled.
^6 [t]Leave off, ye simple ones, and live;
And walk in the way of understanding.

⁷ He that correcteth a scoffer getteth to himself reviling;
And he that reproveth a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
⁸ Reprove not a scoffer, lest he hate thee:
Reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.
⁹ Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser:
Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
¹⁰ The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom;
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
¹¹ For by me thy days shall be multiplied,
And the years of thy life shall be increased.
¹² If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself;
And if thou scoffest, thou alone shalt bear it.

^13 [u]The foolish woman is clamorous;
She is ^[v]simple, and knoweth nothing.
¹⁴ And she sitteth at the door of her house,
On a seat in the high places of the city,
¹⁵ To call to them that pass by,
Who go right on their ways:
¹⁶ Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither;
And as for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him,
¹⁷ Stolen waters are sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
¹⁸ But he knoweth not that ^[w]the dead are there;
That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

A wise son maketh a glad father;
But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
² Treasures of wickedness profit nothing;
But righteousness delivereth from death.
³ Jehovah will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish;
But he thrusteth away the desire of the wicked.
⁴ He becometh poor that worketh with a slack hand;
But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
⁵ He that gathereth in summer is ^[x]a wise son;
But he that sleepeth in harvest is a son ^[y]that causeth shame.
⁶ Blessings are upon the head of the righteous;
But ^[z]violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
⁷ The memory of the righteous is blessed;
But the name of the wicked shall rot.
⁸ The wise in heart will receive commandments;
But ^[aa]a prating fool ^[ab]shall fall.
⁹ He that walketh uprightly walketh surely;
But he that perverteth his ways shall be known.
¹⁰ He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow;
But ^[ac]a prating fool ^[ad]shall fall.
¹¹ The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life;
But ^[ae]violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
¹² Hatred stirreth up strifes;
But love covereth all transgressions.
¹³ In the lips of him that hath discernment wisdom is found;
But a rod is for the back of him that is void of ^[af]understanding.
¹⁴ Wise men lay up knowledge;
But the mouth of the foolish is a present destruction.
¹⁵ The rich man’s wealth is his strong city:
The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
¹⁶ The labor of the righteous tendeth to life;
The increase of the wicked, to sin.
¹⁷ He ^[ag]is in the way of life that heedeth ^[ah]correction;
But he that forsaketh reproof ^[ai]erreth.
¹⁸ He that hideth hatred is of lying lips;
And he that uttereth a slander is a fool.
¹⁹ In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression;
But he that refraineth his lips ^[aj]doeth wisely.
²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver:
The heart of the wicked is little worth.
²¹ The lips of the righteous feed many;
But the foolish die for lack of ^[ak]understanding.
²² The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich;
And ^[al]he addeth no sorrow therewith.
²³ It is as sport to a fool to do wickedness;
^[am]And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.
²⁴ The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him;
And the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
^25 [an]When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no more;
But the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
²⁶ As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes,
So is the sluggard to them that send him.
²⁷ The fear of Jehovah ^[ao]prolongeth days;
But the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
²⁸ The hope of the righteous shall be gladness;
But the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
²⁹ The way of Jehovah is a stronghold to the upright;
But ^[ap]it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.
³⁰ The righteous shall never be removed;
But the wicked shall not dwell in the ^[aq]land.
³¹ The mouth of the righteous ^[ar]bringeth forth wisdom;
But the perverse tongue shall be cut off.
³² The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable;
But the mouth of the wicked ^[as]speaketh perverseness.
11 ^[at]A false balance is an abomination to Jehovah;
But a just weight is his delight.
² When pride cometh, then cometh shame;
But with the lowly is wisdom.
³ The integrity of the upright shall guide them;
But the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.
⁴ Riches profit not in the day of wrath;
But righteousness delivereth from death.
⁵ The righteousness of the perfect shall ^[au]direct his way;
But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
⁶ The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them;
But the treacherous shall be taken in their own iniquity.
⁷ When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish;
And the hope of ^[av]iniquity perisheth.
⁸ The righteous is delivered out of trouble;
And the wicked cometh in his stead.
⁹ With his mouth the godless man destroyeth his neighbor;
But through knowledge shall the righteous be delivered.
¹⁰ When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth;
And when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
¹¹ By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted;
But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
¹² He that despiseth his neighbor is void of ^[aw]wisdom;
But a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
¹³ He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets;
But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth a matter.
¹⁴ Where no wise guidance is, the people falleth;
But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
¹⁵ He that is surety for a stranger ^[ax]shall smart for it;
But he that hateth ^[ay]suretyship is secure.
¹⁶ A gracious woman obtaineth honor;
And violent men obtain riches.
¹⁷ The merciful man doeth good to his own soul;
But he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.
¹⁸ The wicked earneth deceitful wages;
But he that soweth righteousness hath a sure reward.
^19 [az]He that is stedfast in righteousness shall attain unto life;
And he that pursueth evil doeth it to his own death.
²⁰ They that are perverse in heart are an abomination to Jehovah;
But such as are perfect in their way are his delight.
^21 [ba]Though hand join in hand, the evil man shall not be unpunished;
But the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
²² As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,
So is a fair woman that ^[bb]is without discretion.
²³ The desire of the righteous is only good;
But the expectation of the wicked is ^[bc]wrath.
²⁴ There is that scattereth, and increaseth yet more;
And there is that withholdeth ^[bd]more than is meet, but it tendeth only to want.
²⁵ The liberal soul shall be made fat;
And he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
²⁶ He that withholdeth grain, the people shall curse him;
But blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.
²⁷ He that diligently seeketh good seeketh favor;
But he that searcheth after evil, it shall come unto him.
²⁸ He that trusteth in his riches shall fall;
But the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.
²⁹ He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind;
And the foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.
³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life;
And he that is wise winneth souls.
³¹ Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth;
How much more the wicked and the sinner!